


Denouement

by SeraphJewel



Category: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraphJewel/pseuds/SeraphJewel
Summary: The final act is over, the curtain has fallen, but Jacob cannot move on from what happened with Maxwell Roth.
Relationships: Jacob Frye/Maxwell Roth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	Denouement

What was he doing here? It wasn't their custom to visit the grave of their victims. But then, none of their victims were anything like this one. While Jacob was never happy about killing, he could at least walk away with some measure of satisfaction. Not this time. This time it all lingered: smoke in his lungs, anger and pain in his heart, the taste of a man's last breaths on his mouth.

At the time it happened very quickly. But when Jacob thought about it, the events slowed down so each beat felt like it lasted ages. The way those fingers latched roughly into his hair, the fierceness of the pull that brought their faces closer, the intensity as those lips made contact with his own. It was so quick, _too_ quick, and then the kiss was over and Maxwell Roth was dead.

The handkerchief with the man's blood was still in Jacob's pocket. He couldn't seem to bring himself to get rid of it as he did with all the others. Why? Max was _gone_ ; Jacob saw the light go out in the man's eyes. His body was now under Jacob's feet, never to grace the stage or threaten lives or stand with Jacob on a rooftop...

Jacob clenched his fists tight enough to feel the metal knuckles Max gifted him dig into his skin.

“Pardon me.” Jacob snapped out of his thoughts. He got a horrible feeling of déjà vu seeing Lewis, Max's servant. _Not Max, Jacob. Roth. Create distance_. The last time he saw Lewis, the man was delivering _Roth's_ last correspondence. There was no box or letter this time, yet Jacob couldn't shake the feeling of dread settling over him.

“What is it?”

“Mister Roth left something for you at his estate, sir,” Lewis informed him. The dread grew larger. What now? Whatever it was, Jacob couldn't ignore it, and he knew Max-- _Roth_ \-- would have banked on that.

“Thank you. I'll be there to collect it shortly.”

He took a private carriage so he could be alone when he discovered whatever it was waiting for him. Jacob walked through the familiar rooms, so far untouched by the Blighters. At last he found the object in question at the table where he and Roth began their partnership. It was a box, though too long and thin to house a dead bird... unless it was a whole flock. A murder of crows, the wordplay likely too delightful for Roth to ignore. Jacob's heart pounded as he lifted the lid.

Only to find a set of clothes. Unbidden, Roth's voice came to him: _Darling, that old coat is so worn and thin. Shouldn't an Assassin have more care with his attire?_

Jacob ran his fingers over the material. There was nothing worn or thin about _this_ coat. He lifted it out of the box and spread it out on the table. He could tell just by looking that it would fit him perfectly. Of course. He should stuff it back in the box and walk away. Or perhaps he could burn it; Roth would have appreciated the irony.

Instead of doing either of those things, Jacob carried the clothes into Roth's bedroom and put them on piece by piece. When he was done he turned to look at himself in the mirror. He hated how much the clothes suited him.

“Fuck you,” he cursed. “Fuck you, Roth. Why did you...?”

But Roth was gone, and there would never be a real answer.

**Author's Note:**

> This is now the first part of a series, with Before the Curtain Fell acting as a prequel.


End file.
